1999/01/29 by J.M.F. Labastida, J. M. F. Labastida, Carlos Lozano +2
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Black Holes and Theoretical Physics #FOS: Physical sciences #High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th) #Homotopy and Cohomology in Algebraic Topology #Noncommutative and Quantum Gravity Theories #hep-th
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.hep-th/9901161
Invited lecture at the Workshop on New Developments in Algebraic Topology, Faro 1998, 25 pages, latex
arxiv created 1999/01/29 · openalex publication_date 1999/01/29 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We present a summary of the progress made in the last few years on topological quantum field theory in four dimensions. In particular, we describe the role played by duality in the developments which led to the Seiberg-Witten invariants and their relation to the Donaldson invariants. In addition, we analyze the fruitful framework that this connection has originated. This analysis involves the study of topological quantum field theories which contain twisted N=2 supersymmetric matter fields as well as theories obtained after twisting N=4 supersymmetry. In the latter case, we present some recent results including the generalization of the partition function of the Vafa-Witten theory for gauge group SU(N) with prime N.